Kebbells Seafood Bar & Restaurant

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244 reviews

#2 of 81 Restaurants in Broadstairs££££, Seafood, Mediterranean, British

+44 1843 319002+ Add website

Hours

Sun

10:00 - 21:00

Mon

18:00 - 21:00

Tue

12:00 - 15:0018:00 - 21:00

Wed

12:00 - 15:0018:00 - 21:00

Thu

12:00 - 15:0018:00 - 21:00

Fri

10:00 - 15:0018:00 - 21:00

Sat

10:00 - 21:00

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What is Travellers’ Choice?

Tripadvisor gives a Travellers’ Choice award to accommodations, attractions and restaurants that consistently earn great reviews from travellers and are ranked within the top 10% of properties on Tripadvisor.

Ratings and reviews

4.5

244 reviews

#2 of 81 Restaurants in Broadstairs

Travellers' Choice 2023

RATINGS

Food

Service

Value

Atmosphere

Food and ambience

Seafood, Mediterranean, British, Grill, Vegetarian Friendly, Vegan Options

“Crab arancini, haddock ‘scotch’ egg, mussels, scallops, gambas.”

“The seafood bouillabaisse was better than any we have eaten in France.”

“... board, which was cod, monkfish, mussels, prawns with a Thai sauce, beauti...”

“We tried the Bouillabaisse, mullet and mussels in a Thai sauce.”

Location and contact

8 Victoria Parade, Broadstairs CT10 1QS England

+44 1843 319002

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Can a vegan person get a good meal at this restaurant?

Yes

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Details

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About

Seafood Bar • Restaurant - Offering Small plates & large plates, now offering Brunch at the weekends. The freshest concept in seafood dining in the heart of Broadstairs overlooking Viking Bay, brings together locally sourced sustainable ingredients fused with a Mediterranean influence. . A food enthusiasts playground, with a sharing concept not only just Seafood we cater for meat lovers and vegetarian and Vegan. Come and enjoy great food with a warm welcoming atmosphere by the sea. We promise you won't regret it!

CUISINES

Seafood, Mediterranean, British, Grill

Special Diets

Vegetarian Friendly, Vegan Options, Gluten Free Options

Meals

Lunch, Dinner, Brunch

FEATURES

Reservations, Seating, Highchairs Available, Serves Alcohol, Full Bar, Table Service, Gift Cards Available

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4.5

244 reviews

Excellent

210

Very good

Average

Poor

Terrible

Kaypee1

84 contributions

Mediterranean tapas style

Jul 2021 • none

Vast menus frighten me; they scare me that the place is too ambitious and not doing anything well or that there's an awful lot of "ping" food going on out back. Not here. Oodles of staff to cook and serve a short(ish) interesting and imaginative menu of small and large plates. The sourdough bread is gorgeous, BUT at £4.50 for 2 slices (with whipped butter), that is extracting the Michael. I did see one table receive 4 slices; were they charged £9.00? The chef works the room (and outside tables) well and the place has a good vibe. This was our second visit within about 3 weeks although the menu had changed very little. Given the shortish listing it would have been nice to have seen a few more changes to prompt return visits. Even the specials had at least two items previously listed, but perhaps that's because they are very popular. Interesting wine list, and wine is very personal, but I would have loved to see a Galician Albariño to compliment the Iberian vibe. I have no doubt that this place will do well.

Written 22 July 2021

This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

WMYve

London51 contributions

Wonderful Meal

Aug 2021 • none

We visited for the first time last night & wow what an amazing dining experience! We were booked to be seated at the bar - I was initially sceptical that this would be a good place to sit but my concerns were totally unfounded, it was a fabulous place to sit! The lovely waitress explained the menu in full, including that the plates would arrive at random, and we made our selections whilst enjoying our first bottle of Chapel Down fizz, which is a favourite. Food highlights for us were the Stone Bass and the Burrata, but everything tasted fresh and delicious, with juices mopped up by the amazing Staple Stores sourdough. The atmosphere was buzzing, so we had a second bottle of Chapel Down whilst chatting to the chefs and staff, an added bonus of sitting at the bar and the whole team are just so friendly. The Bakewell tart gelato and the macerated strawberries were the perfect deserts to end a fantastic meal. We have been fortunate enough to have eaten in a number of smart London restaurants and the quality of food, drinks and service here is right up there. It is not a cheap meal, although the drinks are very reasonably priced, but I would highly recommend and we can’t wait to come back.

Written 29 August 2021

Laura N

London23 contributions

At last! A place I want to return to regularly!

Aug 2021 • none

Such a delicious meal! Totally unexpected as we walked in on the off chance and managed to get a lovely round table for the family on a busy Saturday lunchtime. So often I’m disappointed by the food after reading the flowery descriptions on the menu but not this time! Simple dishes where you could taste each ingredient- so fresh and unusual yet delicious. Service was excellent and knowledgeable. The tasty dishes kept coming and we couldn’t resist ordering a second of several of them! Delicious bread from Staple helped soak up the sauces. The children had marvellously light and crispy chips. Not a place for people who want cheap plates piled high but for those who enjoy tasting real food. Our three London guests were also impressed!

Written 8 August 2021

Jemma T

27 contributions

Not great….

Aug 2021 • family

It was brilliant and it was not! Very much a game of two halves here. The service was good. The food was good, but value for money …. Not so much. We ordered the seafood platter as a starter for four - for £65 we got four langoustines, two oysters, four mussels, a tiny portion of tuna tartar and a tiny portion of lobster tail. We then had the seabass £70 for a sea bass which was superb but perhaps not enough to feed four, maybe three, and didn’t come with any vegetables, potatoes, bread…, Our girls had the steak sharing platter which came with exactly three pieces of steak and three chips…….Everything was extra. It was like the Ryan Air of restaurants. Even the bread was overpriced and when we asked for bread for our table of 9, we got two pieces….. we kept having to order more to satisfy our hunger…… The food was great, but we left hungry and with a big dent in our wallet. The concept is good but we won’t be back.

Written 29 August 2021

Dave

1 contribution

First visit

Aug 2021 • friends

Well what a disappointment. Table for six people for a nice evening out. Only sharing starters and sharing main courses! Would be nice to be able to also choose an individual main course. The music was too loud and the acoustics terrible. The noise from other tables seems to reverberate around making conversation very difficult. Main course arrived for four of our party other had to be sent back as not cooked as promised. Waited for 25 minutes for food to be returned having had to ask 3 times where it was. By this time the rest of our party had finished eating so 2 of us were left to eat alone. Not what we had planned. No spoons to use to serve from the sharing starter plates. Presented with a bill at the end of the meal that included 12.5 % service charge without a thought or apology for the bad service. To cap it all it appeared we were wanted to leave as after 2 hours our table was needed for the next victim. We had not really finished due to the delay caused by the faux pas in the kitchen but dutifully left having not even finished our wine. I only hope that service improves as this restaurant is not cheap to eat at we will NOT be going back.

Written 4 August 2021

MG7100

Perth6 contributions

Skate gives you the skoots

Jan 2022 • friends

The meal started well and service was attentive (one waitress being slightly aggressive) and we had high hopes. Although the menu was slightly confused, being somewhere between a tapas and standard a la carte, the selection seemed varied. However, upon arrival, the ‘large plate’ of guinea fowl was only large if you had your stomach stapled, and the skate had a distinctly chemical aroma. Regrettably, the two people who ordered the skate ate some, which resulted in both of them feeling instantly ill and having to make a dash to the toilet before the evening was over. The staff took the price of the offending dishes off the bill and gave use free desserts (luckily it wasn’t the scary waitress that we complained to) but this gesture was slightly undone by being told we couldn’t have the cheese as it would take too long and they needed the table. And so we were hurried out the restaurant and made our way home feeling dissatisfied, disappointed and dyspeptic

Written 29 January 2022

ANGELDUST100

London37 contributions

Disappointing!

Jun 2021 • friends

Very disappointing, very small portions and overpriced. £110 for two people with a bottle of wine and still went away hungry. Staff pleasant enough but one front of house female was quite abrupt and found her attitude quite poor. She Refused to fill up a passing customers water bottle for a small child on a very hot day. Later found out the establishment a few doors away did this for them with no problem whatsoever (Artfuls). This is disgraceful! It costs them nothing, except those people will likely never try their restaurant. Oysters were lovely. Croquettes we’re lovely but asked how big they were before ordering and was told about the size of a scotch egg. They were not! They were the size of a picnic mini egg. Prawns had to go back to kitchen as still opaque. Took 3 kitchen staff to sort it out. First chef came out with chefs tweezers and started dissecting it on my plate at the table and questioning why I thought it wasn’t cooked. ( It was obvious by just looking at it) second chef explained they haven’t got the hang of the new salt grill yet, then Head chef came out and was very apologetic. We were told it would be taken off of the bill by a fourth member of staff but it was not. I love to give good reviews and often do. I dislike giving negative reviews but on this occasion I feel it is justified. Definitely will not return. Will stick to the other great restaurants in Broadstairs.

Written 26 July 2021

LoveEatingOut6

Margate97 contributions

Worst service I’ve ever received . Had to walk out

Aug 2022 • couples

The worst , frankly rude service I’ve ever experienced. at any restaurant ever. Absolutely shocked. Arrived 20 minutes early to be told to come back in ten minutes . Fair enough we did . . Seemed busy but not overly. There were empty tables . probably due to folk week. Arrived back and were sat down next to the door . We watched as tables were cleaned and cleared inside and outside , with waitress staff w as liking last us time and time again I. And out side to speak to people asking for tables, we waited 20 minutes with new people being seated and were completely ignored. Wife asked for sone menus which we’re bought over, the girl plonked them down and was off before we could even speak to her , she rushed back the the counter in the corner to chat to her mates. All were waitresses . After another 20 minutes watching the newly seated ladies getting served after walking staff past us despite us trying to get served politely and watching the newcomers at bar seats also getting served and with no drinks or food offered despite cleaning tables beside and behind us we decided to leave. What a real shame . Ruined our date night . Too busy cleaning and going outside to speak to prospective new customers than help people sitting down. What a real shame . No food no drink no service. What a way to run a business and how to annoy a local businessperson who eats out a lot.

Written 10 August 2022

Christine H

Deal28 contributions

Lunch review

Nov 2021 • family

I would never go back The food was okay in the majority Never order a whole fish with head included Result plate of bones with no accompaniments Mine was luke warm .. I hate lukewarm food The restaurant is way to small for the number of covers they cram in The acoustics are dreadful … I was unable to hold any conversation without saying “ pardon” every 5seconds which I detest in a restaurant And Never mind trying to hear what a waitress was trying to say about the blackboard menu …. That you can’t see .. so should be moved The tables are too narrow and the staff just cram them so you have no where to move . The staff are abrupt if it’s not going there way … do not like that It’s a shame … as it is a good location So was not worth the bill

Written 27 November 2021

Travlintone

Chippenham782 contributions

Fabulous meal and service!

Jun 2023 • couples

There are meals that you have in restaurants that provide ‘stand out’ food memories. Our evening meal at Kebbells was one of these. We hadn’t booked for our, out of season, Tuesday evening visit but tables at this small restaurant was fully booked on our arrival. We were however offered seats at the counter– what a great location as we were able to talk with many of the staff as well as seeing drinks and food being prepared. The food was all exceptional. Even the pre-meal olives had been marinated in a great mixture of spices. Dishes come as snacks (nibbles such as the excellent focaccia) then ‘small’ or ‘larger’ plates. We had two nibbles, two small plates and then a larger plate of mussels to share with 3 glasses of wine. We paid £112 including the 12.5% service automatically added to the bill. The only downside was that we thought the wines expensive, and they don’t service Chardonnay by the glass! We would deffo return when in the area.

Written 2 July 2023

Jan M

Chelmsford11 contributions

Amazing, buzzy, delicious seafood

Jul 2021 • family

Last night of our holiday and we couldn’t have chosen a better restaurant to eat in!! Service was incredibly friendly & efficient and we got the real sense that servers & chefs alike were proud of their food & restaurant. The food itself was delicious - a real highlight was the stuffed baby squid - soooo tasty and perfectly cooked. We thoroughly enjoyed our meal and the whole ambience of this new restaurant. Will definitely be back and wouldn’t hesitate to recommend.

Written 1 August 2021

LyndyLou13

London12 contributions

Disappointing

Sept 2021 • family

Late Sunday lunch with family. Innovative decor, convivial atmosphere, friendly staff. Nice menu choices if a little pricey. The slip sole was very tasty. The tuna tartare lacked seasoning. Other small plates mediocre. Sadly the main part of our meal had been given to another table. When this was eventually discovered we decided not to continue with the meal as we had waited a long time & so asked for the bill. At £117 it was not cheap. We did not pay the optional £13 service. At over £25 each it still wasn’t cheap for roughly 4/5 small plates & a bottle of wine! We were offered complimentary desserts but I don’t think we’ll return. Shame.

Written 19 September 2021

Alice D

1 contribution

Good food but not tapas size

Sept 2021 • couples

The waitress advised that portions were small and we should order multiple small and large dishes. It was way too much! The large plates are full sized mains. Don't get persuaded to over order as we were, especially as it is pretty pricey. Ended up spending about £30 more than needed. Food was good otherwise although a bit salty for our tastes. Nice decor and friendly staff.

Written 24 September 2021

AngelBA1

Holsworthy69 contributions

Disappointed

Jul 2022 • friends

Having tried Kebbells once before and having been reasonably impressed, I suggested we went there at the end of July when friends came down from London. I was so disappointed and rather embarrassed by the meal and the service. We ordered many sharing plates, none of which were notable or memorable. They all came at once so the table was packed, messy and by the time we ate some of the food it was cold. They brought one very small finger bowl for the table- after we requested finger bowls (we had crab claws, crevettes, muscles etc). I then had to ask for a finger bowl each as it was getting very messy (surely these should be provided as a matter of course?). There are loads of examples of where the service was poor, but I shan’t list them here. I shall not be returning to Kebbells soon, there are too many other great eateries in Broadstairs/Thanet.

Written 1 August 2022

marcusowen

Welwyn Garden City8 contributions

Overpriced and Disappointing

Sept 2021 • none

Booked last minute for an early meal. Under the impression it was a seafood restaurant but really it was an upmarket tapas bar consisting of seafood. Very Happy- Clappy staff to the point of irritation. Had a whole Plaice fillet (£45) which was nice but messy to fillet. The choice of tapas to go with it was poor. Asked for a nice green salad but the restaurant doesn't offer one. How long does it take to chop up a salad! Chips too small over cooked and too salty. Mediterranean roasted vegetables consisted of Courgettes and Aubergines in strong tomato source, not the best accompaniment to white fish. Didn't bother with desert and left fairly early. Overall a disappointing experience, to end a lovely first time visit to Broadstairs. Looking at least £150 if you have bottle of wine and 3 course for two. Having eaten in Covert Garden the week before at a similar type of restaurant, there is simply no comparison in value or quality.

Written 26 September 2021

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